Here are the highlights from White House press secretary Jay Carney's daily briefing:

1.) HOLDER: Carney says House Republicans have made a "strategic choice" to "score political points."

2.) SYRIA: Carney, on attacks on a pro-Assad TV station: "We condemn all acts of violence including those targeting pro-regime elements."

3.) PICNIC: Why is Obama holding a picnic for Congress when he routinely bashes them? "It's a great American tradition," Carney says.

4.) HEALTH CARE: Carney: "I cannot speculate on all the various permutations that have been put forward by really smart people in press. I think we just have to wait."

Full liveblog after the jump.

Carney starts at 12:58.

AP with the first question, as usual. It's a Holder question on the contempt vote. What are the consequences for the country, for the W.H.

Carney says House Republicans have made a "strategic choice" to "score political points." Says everyone agrees the Fast and Furious operation was botched. "They've made that choice rather than focusing on jobs and the economy."

More: "With millions of Americans still struggling to pay their bills, I can't imagine this will sit well with most Americans."

Carney repeats that there is no evidence of W.H. involvement. Says they hope Republicans "change their mind."

More: "We certainly understand ... that this is politics."

Q: Can you speak to whether a contempt vote would have any substative impact?

Carney refers to the DOJ. "That is a hypothetical, the vote has not happeneed. ... It will be viewed for what it is if it happens, which is political theater. ... An action taken by Congress that does not respond to the most urgent priorities of the American people."

Carney says that Congress does have legitimate oversight needs. Says that the administration has been extraordinarily cooperative with Congress on oversight.

Q: Syria. More violence today, attack on a TV station. Assad said there is a state of real war. Does the W.H. agree?

Carney: "We condemn all acts of violence including those targeting pro-regime elements. We call on all parties to cease hostilities. ... In terms of Assad's comments, his observation about the situation in Syria is all the more profound because he created, he caused it. The violence that is occurring ... is of his own doing."

More: "We agree that the situation in Syria is serious, it is dire, it is resulting in the tragic and unnecessary deaths."

More: "The idea behind that thinking suggests that there was some grand plan behind the fast and furious program when in fact everyone knows... the president did not know about this tactic, the Attorney General did not know about it... this was a field office tactic that was flawed. When the attorney general learned about it."

Q: This is part of the GOP agenda to score some political points, the W.H. says. Does the president believe that the contempt vote is an attempt to distract the DOJ from voting rights?

Carney says he can't speculate, except that this is about "politics."

More: "What we know is that this administration has been very cooperative with the legitimate oversight ..." role of Congress. Says that the DOJ has forked over documents, etc.

Carney repeats that its political theater.

Q: What if SCOTUS strikes down the mandate?

Carney: "I cannot speculate on all the various permutations that have been put forward by really smart people in press. I think we just have to wait."

Q: Was the standoff worth it?

Carney: "It is absolutely worth the assertion of a privilege" to allow the executive to have the internal deliberations it needs to have. Carney says congressional/admin cooperation has been good. All of the relevant info has been provided.

More, on Rep. Issa: "He has, after all this, he has no evidence ... in White House involvement in this. This is a field tactic that was a bad idea."

More Fast and Furious: "The president did not know about it... the attorney general did not know about it."

Carney takes more health care questions.

Q: Single payer?

Carney: "The president favors the Affordable Care Act. It was the right thing to do to provide insurance coverage... to ensure that people with preexisting conditions could not be denied insurance coverage."

More: "The president ... is awaiting the decision. We will assess it when it comes."

Q: Members of his own party are waiting for it to be struck done.

Carney says he's heard every imaginable opinion.

Q: You're still hopeful that the House GOP and DOJ will work something out? There were meetings yesterday? Or phone calls?